Constructing my promotional film poster

I started off with this image of Sarah.

I wanted to cut around her to remove her from the background, but as this also meant cutting out her hair, I realised that I could not simply use the ‘Magic Wand Tool’, the ‘Eraser Tool’ or the ‘Magnetic Lasso Tool’, as these would all provide insufficient results. I therefore followed this tutorial (see below) http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/tutorials/handy-techniques-for-cutting-out-hair-in-photoshop to separate the image of Sarah from the background via the image channels, using the ‘dodge’ and ‘burn’ tools. It took me several attempts to get the result I wanted.

However, there were still several parts of the background, in particular around her hair, that remained. To reduce these and improve the appearance and neatness of the image, I used the ‘eraser’ tool and the ‘blur’ tool.

I also got rid of any blemishes and imperfections, using the ‘Spot Healing Brush’ tool.

This is the final image:

I then stretched the image.

Next, I cut out a rough circle in the middle of the letter, and used the ‘burn’ tool and the ‘brush’ tool to create a burnt-looking edge.

I then pasted the old image into a layer below, so that it appeared as though it was burning through the letter. This relates to the plot of the film (the fire, but also the fact that she is affected by what she finds out, so her past ‘burning through the paper’ is quite symbolic), as well as looking dramatic and striking.

Next, I added the background. To do this, I chose a light blue colour, and then went on ‘filter’ ‘render’ ‘clouds’ to create a cloudy background, which gave this result:

Then, to represent that the modern-day character has been affected by her past and is upset by the actions of her ancestors, I created a tear rolling down her cheek using this tutorial: http://www.idigitalemotion.com/tutorials/guest/tears/tears.htmlIt involved using the burn tool and adjusting its opacity to create a realistic tear. Mine is slightly darker than the one shown in the tutorial, as I wanted it to look like her eye make-up was running.

I then increased the levels and adjusted the contrast:

I then added a tagline and institutional information using fonts from www.dafont.com.

Next, I added the title, also with a font taken from www.dafont.com, and then added a lens flare to the text, by going on ‘filter’ ‘render’ ‘lens flare’.

Finally, I added reviews; taking inspiration from the reviews on the Wuthering Heights poster, I added star ratings that I found on the internet, and quotations such as “gripping” and “extraordinary”. Also taking inspiration from the Wuthering Heights poster, I quoted not only the newspaper, but the hypothetical ‘journalists’ that wrote them, so as to conform to real film posters, give more information, and make the quotations seem more realistic. If people are shown who exactly reviewed the film, for example, it might make them more likely to go and watch it.

This is my final poster:I am quite happy with it as I feel that it conforms to posters of a similar genre, such as through its layout and content, but is also eye-catching and intriguing. The tagline ‘What Will Your Past Unveil?’ tells the viewer straight away that the film is about the someone’s past and what she discovers about it, as well as gaining the viewer’s attention and being more personal by its use of the pronoun ‘you’, as though it is talking directly to its audience. Furthermore, the images I have used are quite effective, as the modern image contrasts greatly with the old one; in the modern one, the girl is wearing vivid clothing, has blue hair and piercings, bright, painted nails, and appears to be generally modern. In the old image, however, the three characters are wearing Victorian clothing, such as top hats and black dresses, and are standing in front of an old country estate. The contrast between the two images creates juxtaposition, and draws the viewer in. Another element that helps to draw the viewer in is the way I have edited the old image; the ‘focal zoom’ effect that I added to the image on www.picnik.com not only creates the sense of rivalry between the men and the way they are drawn to the woman, but also creates a focal point which catches the viewer’s attention and draws their eye line to the image. Another effective element of the poster is the background; the blue sky connotes well-being, happiness, and the sense that nothing is wrong, which is contrasted with the moody clouds rolling over it, that are usually associated with a change in weather; this creates pathetic fallacy, suggesting to the viewer that all is not what it seems, and that something has happened to change this (i.e. when Sarah finds the letters). I think that overall, the whole poster is extremely eye-catching, and I think I have succeeded in my attempts to make it as professional-looking as possible. It is extremely aesthetically pleasing, and not overly cluttered, so that it stands out more.

Feedback Here is some of the feedback I have received about my poster:Positive:

•The background works really well, as it makes the image and the text stand out more. •The four/five star reviews make it look professional. I love the burning effect with the letter – it creates intrigue. •Because the image is central, it catches your attention.•Like the way the image of Sarah looks as though it is part of the background – the fact that you have separated the image from another background and put it on a new one is impressive, particularly around her hair.•The burnt edge around the old image is effective as it gives information about the storyline.•I like how the image of the past is ‘burning’ through into the future.•I like the lens flare on the title.

Negative: •You could have included more institutional information, maybe in a smaller font.•Maybe I would have put the institutional information below the image – however it would have been have been difficult to see.•Difficult to tell she is crying.